PLATYPUS is the Australian extension of a revolutionary trial based in the United Kingdom (UK) called OCTOPUS, which aims to enrol participants in the UK and Australia over the next few years. It is the first ever multi-arm, multi-stage trial for progressive MS.
The OCTOPUS trial is funded by the UK MS Society. In Australia, Multiple Sclerosis Australia (MS Australia) and MS Western Australia (MSWA) have provided funding to support the extension and coordination of the trial in Australia.
This clinical trial will transform the way we test treatments for progressive MS. As a smarter way of testing potential treatments, it could deliver life-changing new treatments up to three times faster than regular clinical trials.
OCTOPUS (including PLATYPUS) uses what’s called a multi-arm, multi-stage (MAMS) design – the first time this has ever been done for MS.
MAMS trials make it possible to test new treatments up to three times faster by:
Merging separate trials may sound obvious. But launching a MAMS trial for MS needs so many things to line up perfectly. From hospitals around the country (and the world) equipped to be trial sites, to the complicated statistics that underpin this type of design.
We won’t know if these drugs slow disability progression until at least 2028 at the earliest. This is because the trial is combining what would normally be two separate trials into one.
PLATYPUS is the Australian extension of an international trial based in the UK called OCTOPUS. As part of OCTOPUS, PLATYPUS will transform the way we test treatments for progressive MS and could deliver life-changing treatments up to 3 times faster than regular clinical trials.
You may register your interest and determine if you could be eligible to participate in the PLATYPUS. To do so, please complete an eligibility survey via MS Trial Screen.
Find active Australian trial sites easily or head to our MS Trial Screen portal to find sites coming soon.
You can find more information about PLATYPUS in the Participant Information Sheet, or if you would like to know what will happen at each of the trial visits you can read about it here in the PLATYPUS Visit Information Leaflet.
PLATYPUS will use a type of trial design known as Multi-Arm Multi-Stage (MAMS).
Stay up to date with the latest announcements, updates, and media coverage of the PLATYPUS trial.
